Rythmic Beats
by AutumnDawn21
Summary: Training Area 21 is avoided by all. There a small figure trains, day and night. Never ending, never pausing. Her hollow shell waits, lifeless eyes staring Eastward. Slight NaruxOC, can be taken as friendship or more. Hard to summarize, but very sad.


Hello there! I made this a while ago, but kept forgetting to put it up here! It's on all my oher sites! xD I'll have another one-shot out soon too, called Concrete Angel. But I need to find it first '

I'm sorry, I know I should be working on my other fics, but I have writers block. I really want to write a one-shot right now, but I cant get one started. I'm gonna do a IchigoxRukia one after I finish putting this up though xD

So, to occupy myself until I get the idea worked out, I edited this one! And now I'm putting it up! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Do you really think I own Naruto? I can barely get the next chapters of my fics up in time. Writing/drawing anime/manga would kill me, no matter how awesome it would be! Besides, theres really not much Naruto-world-ness in this.

* * *

"Un!" A small noise escapes pale lips. The sound of heavy breathing, accompanied by rhythmic thumps, echoes throughout the indoor training area. _'More!'_ the thin figure thinks, _'More!'_ . She pushes herself to the limit, forcing her body to obey. _'I'm not giving up! Not until I get stronger!'_ The breathing grows ragged, but the thumps stay rhythmic. **Thump. Thump. Thump.** the light sounds of someone turning, **Thump. Thump. Thump**. A great whoosh of air, and the cycle begins again. **Thump. Thump. Thump**.'It has been going on for hours.

It is a sad sight, but inspiring all the same.

**Thump. Thump. Thump**.

A small, frail child pushing herself past her limits.

**Thump. Thump. Thump.**

Chasing a dream no one can see

**Whoosh**

Torn down, and rises again.

**Thump. Thump. Thump.**

No one realizes just how inspiring this picture is.

**Thump. Thump. Thump.**

The girl coughs, but does not falter in her stride.

**Whoosh**.

The girl pauses in her endless repetition, the world going dizzy before her. _'No.'_ she thinks, stubbornly, '_I WILL go on.'_

**Thump. Thump. Thump**.

Again the pattern starts.

The child lets her consciousness roam, to keep her mind off the burning pain in her chest, the aching in her body.

_"Look! She thinks she's a ninja!" Mean laughter broke out from a group of young children. "She cant even throw a kunai straight!"_

_The horrible laughter followed the fleeing figure, cruel remarks flying after her._

_"She's so weak!"_

_"My baby brother could beat_ her!"

_"Look at her run! Tail between her legs!"_

_"That's right, mutt! Run!"_

_"Get me a soda, mutt!"_

_"Mutt!"_

_"Curr!"_

_"Half-breed!"_

_"Weakling!"_

_"Bitch!" cried one of the older children, "Female dogs are bitches _bitch !" _Howling laughter broke out after this statement._

_A little girl with flame-red hair flew through the crowds, covering her face with her hands as stones pelted her._

_The group of children ran after her, loving the sport._

_She dodged groups of adults, all chattering animatedly, pointedly ignoring her plight. Some even laughed at the scene._

_"Bakimono!"_

The lone figure on the training ground furiously blinked away her tears, never ceasing her endless movements.

_"I dont have a name, so you can just call me whatever you want, my hobbies are running, sleeping, and training. My dislikes are people. My dream is to live"_

**Thump. Thump. Thump.**

_"Wow, can you BELIEVE her dream? If she wants to live, why'd she become a ninja! She's so weak she'll die for sure!"_

**Thump. Thump. Thump**.

_"Oi, no-name!"_

_The redheaded teen turns a dull gaze on the figures of her teammates. "Why are you here?"_

_"We wanted to tell you we thought of a name for you!"_

_A faint spark shows in the girl's eyes, "Really?"_

_"Yeah! Ama!"_

_The spark fades, hopes extinguished once again. "Oh..." the girl turns away, blocking their laughter, tears at the corner of her eye._

Ama...bitch...

The training grounds were in darkness, lit only by a small streetlight from the lane that led to the clearing. In the eerie half-light the girl kept moving. b **Whoosh.** /b She would become stronger.

_"AHH!!!!!" The sickening squelch of a limp body hitting the ground._

_"NO!!! STOP!!!! LEAVE ME ALOOOOONE!" The cries halted as blood gurgled in the person's throat._

_"One left"_

_Three masked figures approached a young girl. Her red hair was damp with sweat and blood, and her golden eyes wide with fear. Her dead teammates were at her feet._

_"S-sensei?"_

_The sound of ribs cracking as the foremost masked figure kicked the girl in the side._

_"Quiet bakama!"_

_"W-why?"_

_"You're all too weak! Orochimaru has offered me power!"_

_**Weak...**_

Once again the girl is seen training, pouring rain blurring her figure. Still, you can make out the small muscles straining beneath the heavy shirt, cheeks flushed, and tears mixing with the rain.

_"I AM NOT WEAK!"_

**Thump. Thump. Thump**. Lighting comes inches away from striking her, but its like she's in a trance, only her and the target. Nothing else. **Thump. Thump. Thump.**

_Flame-like chakara poured out from the girl. Her pupils shrunk to tiny specks, and the men stepped back in fear_

**Whoosh.** Soft snow falls down, all over the village festive lights decorated homes. All over the city people wished others a Merry Christmas. All the while a small figure remained overlooked in the training yards. **Thump. Thump. Thump**.

_A girl sits silently on a hard hospital bed, staring out the window. After three long months she was getting out. Her sensei was dead, but he had not left the world without a fight. The child got out of bed, leaving the room to head back to the training yard. Her bedside table remained empty. No one cared._

Training. Training. She knew nothing but training. **Thump. Thump. Thump.** She would train. Train all her life. She would train until her body collapsed. Training made people strong

_"Hey, what's your name?"_

_"Me?"_

_"Who else! I dont recognize you! Are you from another village?" the 9-year-old blonde yelled happily._

_The older girl's already quiet voice drops to a whisper, "No...I've lived here all my life...I was in your class..."_

_"Really? Ah well, I have an awful memory! What's your name?"_

_"I dont have one..."_

_"What? Repeat that!"_

_"I DONT HAVE ONE!" the girl claps her hands across her mouth, surprised at the volume of her own voice._

_"How can you not have a name?"_

_"...no one gave me one..."_

_"Well, then I'll name you!"_

_**"Oi, no-name!"**_

_**"Why are you here?"**_

_**"We wanted to tell you we thought of a name for you!"**_

_The girl hardened her heart, prepared for the blow to come._

_"Hm...Kohaku!"_

_Her eyes snapped open, staring at the boy in shock, "W-what?"_

_"Huh? Is something wrong? Well...them maybe-"_

_"N-no!" the girls interrupts, "I-I like...Kohaku..."_

_The boy smiles, "Good! It means amber! Like your eyes! They're really pretty, after all!"_

_The girl was in shock: a name, acknowledgment, a compliment, and maybe...a friend_

**Thump. Thump. Thump.** The girl's heartbeat no matched her beat. Steady...slow...faltering now and again...high then low...she was determined to be strong. **Whoosh.**

_"Kohaku!" the blonde boy, now 10, shouts, "C'mon!"_

_The redhead shyly follows her new friend, "W-what is it Naruto?"_

_"I want you to meet some people!"_

_Her eyes widen a little bit, and she comes to a stop, "I-I dont know..."_

_"Come on! It'll be fine!"_

_She starts to walk again, timidly, "A-are you...s-sure?"_

_"Of course! I wont let anyone hurt you!"_

_She her eyes widen and tears almost come to her eyes, before she smiles happily, running after her friend._

**Thump. Thump. Thump.** The girl punches right through the wooden training dummy, getting splinters in her hand. **Thump. Thump. Thump**. Ignoring what would have been fierce pain to anybody else, she turns to another. **Whoosh.** This time her foot crashes through, stabbing her leg and breaking her ankle. She stand on the injured member, not favoring it in the least, and begins the cycle again. **Thump. Thump. Thump.**

_"Hey! This is Kohaku! She's my friend!"_

_The girl bows low, "P-pleased t-to m-meet you..." she whispers._

_"Kohaku, these are my friends! Well, except _Sasu-teme"

_"Hn...pleased to meet you" the raven-haired boy she knows as Sasuke Uchiha says, only politeness stopping him from walking away._

_"Hello!" the pink-haired girl says cheerily_ 'SHE BETTER NOT TRY AND STEAL MY SASUKE-KUN! And WHAT are with those clothes?! They look like they came out of the dung heap!'

_The girls eyes widen a little bit, and tears almost come to her eyes, but she hides it with long experience._

_"So...Naruto actually made a friend..." the dark-haired boy says, "That's a first" he smirks, turning around._

_"HEY! SASUKE-TEME!" Naruto yells, pouncing on the dark teen._

_The other children smile at you politely; others actually give you a genuine welcome._

_Suddenly a man poofs into the clearing, "Back to the classroom!" he yells._

_"Ah...Iruka-sensei!"_

_Your eyes are a bit wide, and you flinch away from the man, "I-I'm s-orry, b-but I h-have to go t-train...g-good luck i-in c-class Naruto-k-kun!"_

_The man watched you go, 'Isn't that the girl who...' "Okay, kiddies! Training time!"_

_There was a collective groan_

**Thump. Thump. Thump.** The child's strained muscles protest the constant movement, but she ignores their complaints, _'I must be strong'_

**_Bam_**

_The small girl christened Kohaku falls to the ground, "Oof!" only a slight noise escapes her throat._

_"Heh, is that all you got, mutt?"_

_Tears prick her eyes, and her arms shake as she struggles to rise, "W-what did I do?"_

_"Dont talk, bitch! And stay down!" she was kicked in the ribs again, and flew into a building. The child coughs, blood splattering the thick golden-brown shirt she always wore. The man lifted her by her throat, "What did I tell you about making friends, curr?"_

_"She gasped for breath, making the man's fingers tighten more, "N-not t-to!" she rasped._

_"Good," he threw her to the ground, "And you always do what I tell you, right dog?"_

_"I-I'm s-sorry!" She coughed, her sensitive throat already closing._

_"Hn, I'll still have to punish you..." the man watched in amusement as the girl's eyes widen in terror, "Maybe that friend of yours will be getting a visit in the middle of the night!"_

_"NO!" she yells, horrified, "Leave him out of this!"_

_The man chuckles, "Wonderful reaction, my dear!" His features darken, "by morning you'll be a wanted criminal...for killing one Uzumaki Naruto!"_

_The girl's head slumps forward on her chest, "Leave...him...ALONE!" she yells, furious. Flames seem to spread from her body, and she growls in an unearthly voice, "He has NOTHING to do with this!"_

_The man back up, before laughing, "You can't do anything to me! I'm your master! Dogs dont rebel, bit-"_

_A horrible scream resonated through the night._

Again snow is falling, the wonderful substance making everything seem pure and white. A small figure is standing in the training yard, only a thin tank top and short shorts covering her. The golden hat she never removes is on her head, and a thin blanket on the snowy ground from her last nap. She is painstakingly making small figurines from the wood she uses in her fire. All of the genin get one. _N...a...r...u...t...o..._ she carves carefully on the last figurine, _C...o...n...g...r...a...t...u...l...a...t...i...o...n...s...O...n...G...e...t...t...i...n...g...J...a...r...a...i...y...a...T...o...T...r...a...i...n...Y...o...u...S...a...s...u...k...e...I...s...D...e...f...i...n...e...t...l...y...G...o...i...n...g...T...o...L...o...s...e... _She wipes her eyes furiously, and turns the statuette over so she is now carving on the bottom. _'I dont care if you never read this,'_ she thinks, carving words deep in the wood, _'I have to say it'_

_Kohaku stands over the body of her tormenter, calmly watching his blood stain the ground. Her hands were wet with blood, dripping onto the floor of the alley._

_"H...Haku-chan?" a shocked voice says from behind her._

_She turns around, "N-Naruto!"_

_She feels a pang in her heart as his eyes widen in disgust and horror, "Y-you k-killed someone!"_

_"N-no!"_

_A sudden wind blows by, ripping of her hat, she lets out a stifled scream, covering her head with her arms, but not soon enough. "W-what?!"_

_Tears start falling from her eyes, "N-no! N-Naruto!"_

_"M-monster..." he says, fearfully, backing away. "Y-you're a monster!"_

_"No..." she whispers..."not a monster..._he_ was..._

_Tears fall in endless rivers as she watches her 11-year-old, hyperactive, happy-go-lucky, first, no, her_ only _friend run away from her in terror._

**Thump. Thump. Thump.** The girl trains endlessly. She wasn't strong enough to face her friend. She wasnt strong enough to explain. She wasnt strong enough to kill her master before. She wasnt strong enough to stop his gruesome plan from succeeding, even if it wasnt the way he had originally planned. **Thump. Thump. Thump.** She was weak. To weak to live. She must grow stronger. She would show everyone. She would live. **Whoosh**

_Kohaku was training. She always trained. Non-stop. But now she did stop. She looked at the sky, and grabbed the object she had made, running to the front gate._

_Today would be the day Naruto left._

The girl's throat clogged, and she fell to the ground, coughing horribly. Red blood splattered the cold ground, dying the soft snow red.

_The girl walked slowly to the gate, clutching her precious bundle to her chest. She kept her head down, but she strode purposefully through the village. When she got there she saw Naruto and Jaraiya talking to everybody, so she snuck behind them and opened an orange pack sitting on the ground, slipping the object inside. She wiped a tear from her eyes, and quickly jumped into a tree. She sat here for hours, watching the road her friend had gone down._

Tears streamed down the pale face as she clawed at her throat, finally a little air got through, but the cold air sliced through her lungs. She fell forward, on her knees, shaky arms supporting her thing body, blood dripping past pale lips. Her eyes were wide, but she was smiling. Smiling through the pain. She gasped, tears dripping to the ground, as a fierce pain hit her heart, but she smiled again soon.

_Once the moon was high in the sky, Kohaku moved, she wiped away another tear, and walked slowly back to the training yard_

She staggered through the village, moonlight shining on the empty street, heading to the post office. nine figurines sat in her satchel.

_She never stopped training. She would fall asleep sometimes, and sometimes the pain would make her falter, but she didnt stop for very long. Training would make her stronger. Strong enough to tell him._

The 21rst training yard had not been used by anyone in a very long time. Everyone steered clear of it, knowing _she_ was always there. It seemed like she never stopped training.

So everyone was surprised when on January 1rst, there was no rhythmic beating. No **Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Whoosh.** Eventually someone went to look. She was sitting in the snow, a sad smile on her face, frozen eyes looking east. Her soul had died a long time ago. Now her shell had too.

* * *

Far away, in the east a certain blonde-haired ninja sat. A single tear dripped down his face as he looked out his window to the west, Konoha. He turns away slowly and looks at his shelf. 3 figurines stand there. One for his 13th Christmas, one for his 14th, and now his 15th. They fit together perfectly, each of them precise and beautiful. But only when put together did their meaning become clear.

The first he had gotten was a fox, with a mischievous expression to match his own. He had loved this one; someone had snuck it into his pack, perhaps as a goodbye present. The next one was a field of snow, small indentions marking where the fox would stand. He put it there, and waited eagerly for next Christmas, he knew there would be another figurine, for there was another spot for something to stand.

He had gotten the third figurine now. And suddenly the meaning was clear. The third figurine was a dog, a hurt expression, extremely skinny, but beautiful, beautiful eyes. And sure enough it fit.

The two animals leaned against each other, helping each other stand. He could now see what before was hidden, the fox was favoring his left forepaw, and the snow was slightly tainted, the dog was injured too, a large gash on her chest. The snow was still beautiful, but now he knew its true meaning. It stood for the cold world, hidden under layers of beauty and kindness; it could kill anyone without a second though. It ate the weak alive.

_He stood in an alley, having run when he heard screams. What he saw shocked him to no end, "K-Kohaku?"_

_The familiar figure turned, and he saw the blood on her hands, "N-Naruto!"_

_His eyes widen in shock, "Y-you k-killed someone!"_

_"N-no!" she cried, fear in her voice._

_A sudden wind blows by, ripping of her hat; she lets out a stifled scream, covering her head with her arms "W-what?!"_

_Tears start falling from her eyes, "N-no! N-Naruto!"_

_"M-monster..." he says, fearfully, backing away. "Y-you're a monster!"_

_He runs away, turning his back on his friend, terrified and in shock. He hears her whisper something, and begin to sob, but he doesnt stop._

_What he saw when the hat ripped off stayed in his mind for a long time. Pointed, furry ears. Dog ears. Demon ears. She was a demon. A monster. Something to be feared._

Not long after that he had discovered that he had a demon inside too, a fox demon. He had felt awful, but couldnt face his friend, not after seeing what she had done. And to be truthful...he was still a bit scared. Even if he had looked far and wide, he knew he wouldnt find her; she was hiding from him. And that hurt too.

Naruto sighed, picking up the small dog figure. He ran his hands over the creature, wondering what Kohaku was doing now.

His hands felt small bumps in the perfect wood, and he turned it over, curious, to see a strange symbol. He frowned, putting a hand on it, and gasped. Flame-like chakara flared up around him.

_**Where is he? And why does this look so familiar? Naruto turns around in confusion, walking down a small alleyway**_

_**"Oof!" he hears,**_

_**"Heh, is that all you got, mutt?"**_

_**"W-what did I do?" a trembling voice says, Naruto begins to run toward the voice, who was being hurt?**_

_**"Dont talk, bitch! And stay down!" Naruto heard the sound of ribs splintering, and a body crashing into a building. He turns the corner to see a small girl lying on the ground, struggling to rise, and a tall man standing above her.**_

_**The child coughs, blood splattering the thick golden-brown shirt she was wearing. The man lifted her by her throat, "What did I tell you about making friends, curr?"**_

_**"She gasped for breath, making the man's fingers tighten more, "N-not t-to!" she rasped.**_

_**"Good," he threw her to the ground, "And you always do what I tell you, right dog?"**_

_**"I-I'm s-sorry!" She coughed, tears welling up as she struggled to be freed.**_

_**"Hn, I'll still have to punish you..." the man watched in amusement as the girl's eyes widen in terror, "Maybe that friend of yours will be getting a visit in the middle of the night!"**_

_**"NO!" she yells, horrified, "Leave him out of this!"**_

_**The man chuckles, "Wonderful reaction, my dear!" His features darken, "by morning you'll be a wanted criminal...for killing one Uzumaki Naruto!"**_

_**The girl's head slumps forward on her chest, "Leave...him...ALONE!" she yells, furious. Flames seem to spread from her body, and she growls in an unearthly voice, "He has NOTHING to do with this!"**_

_**The man back up, before laughing, "You can't do anything to me! I'm your master! Dogs dont rebel, bit-"**_

_**A horrible scream resonated through the night.**_

_**Naruto's eyes widen, 'So thats why...'**_

_**He watched with tears in his eyes as his younger self came onto the scene, as Kohaku collapsed crying. He watched snatches, seeing her training tirelessly, seeing her sneak the small figure into his bag, seeing her cough up blood over and over again. He saw her teammates murdered, he saw her kill her traitorous sensei, he saw children torturing her, he heard her dream and her teammate's mocking words. He learned she could hear thoughts, and what Sakura had though when she first met her. In a matter of minutes he had lived her life with her. Within seconds tears were streaming down his face. He saw her walk the world alone, he saw the trust and hope she had in him, he saw her heart shatter as he ran away from her sobbing frame. He saw a shell walk out of that alley, and shells dont live. He had killed her dream, her life.**_

_**He watched her endless training, her desire to explain everything to him, her desperate race against time to send him this last figurine, to give everyone one last gift. He saw her sad smile, as her shell withered and died. He saw her loving eyes turned east. She was dead.**_

Naruto fell to his knees, tears running down his face. It had taken only a few short minutes, but it seemed so long. He held the figurine with shaking hands, reading the encouraging words she had so painstaking carved there. After he had killed her, she was still supporting him. _'Why...'_

He turned the figure over to look at the symbol again, but it was changing! Instead of the strange mark from before, there were words. Four words. Four simple words. Four words that made him lose any self-control he had left. He collapsed crying.

_**'Am I Strong Yet?'**_

* * *

It has been years the child with the golden eyes died, and still nobody uses training area 21. It is said that, in the middle of the night, if you walk by the dim area lit only by a single streetlamp, you can hear the sound of fierce training. 

**Thump. Thump. Thump. **Never ending. **Thump. Thump. Thump**. Never stopping. **Whoosh.** Rhythmic Beats.


End file.
